Martín shatters Silverstone record to take pole, Márquez qualifies sixth

Martín takes pole with record lap at Silverstone

Jorge Martín (Aprilia) claimed pole position for the British Grand Prix at Silverstone with a lap of 1:56.160, breaking the track record set by Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) in 2025 by nearly a full second. Quartararo's previous benchmark of 1:57.233 had already been demolished earlier in the weekend by Martín's Aprilia teammate Marco Bezzecchi, who recorded 1:56.280. Martín, the current MotoGP World Championship leader, will start first in both Saturday's Sprint race at 17:00 and Sunday's main race at 14:00, both broadcast on DAZN. The pole-sitter at the British Grand Prix has converted the advantage into victory only five times in the last 26 years.

Aprilia lock out the front row

Aprilia placed all four of their bikes in the top five on Friday and confirmed their pace in Q2, securing their second front-row sweep in the last three Grand Prix weekends. The front row is entirely Aprilia-powered: Martín first, Raúl Fernández (Trackhouse) second, and Ai Ogura (Trackhouse) third. The second row consists of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati) fourth, Bezzecchi fifth, and Marc Márquez (Ducati) sixth. Márquez, who had warned that Aprilia would be fast at Silverstone, encountered a problem in the final sector on his last flying lap that cost him time. He had previously said he would settle for a place in the first two rows, noting that "here the Aprilias fly."

Martín's resurgence after German retirement

Three weeks ago at the Sachsenring, Martín retired from the race and acknowledged that if he did not improve, his championship lead would not last long. He arrived at Silverstone having lost some of the explosive speed that had made his reputation earlier in the season. The Madrid-born rider celebrated his pole with visible intensity, making a gesture that appeared aimed at those questioning his capacity to lead the standings.

New aerodynamic parts and tire management

Martín disclosed that Aprilia had offered him new aerodynamic components to test, which he accepted. He was careful not to attribute the record lap entirely to those parts, stating that his lap was strong on its own while acknowledging that the components do improve the bike.

The truth is that they offered me to try some new aerodynamic parts and I said yes. I'm not saying I achieved this great time, this record, because of those parts, because my lap was excellent, but, well, we know that they improve the bike.

Looking ahead to the races, he identified tire degradation as a critical factor, especially on Sunday, and said the team would work to find ways to extend tire life beyond what is currently expected.

Tire wear will be significant, especially on Sunday, but we are going to work to find some way, some trick, to make them last longer than expected. For now, it's fantastic to start on the front row and from pole, of course.

Bezzecchi's return and track conditions

Bezzecchi's fifth-place qualifying result came approximately two weeks after surgery for fractures to his collarbone and left knee sustained in Germany. His 1:56.280, set before Martín's pole lap, had already beaten Quartararo's 2025 record by nearly a second. The weekend has also benefited from favorable weather, with unusual heat drying the Silverstone circuit to the point where the grass has turned to burnt clay, contributing to the series of record times across the field.